At some point or other, we’ve all had the desire or need to make a phone call yet did not wish to reveal our phone number. Below are three methods of phone number blocking that work and can be enacted immediately.

1. Use a caller ID blocking prefix. In many countries, you can enter a code before you dial a number and your phone number will be blocked from appearing on the recipient’s caller ID. The code varies depending on your country and your service provider, and it is not possible to block in all countries. Enter the prefix, followed immediately by the number you are dialing. For example, if you are in the US and want to call (555)123-4567, you would enter *675551234567.

If your country is not listed, chances are you can use either *67 or #31#. Most GSM mobile networks work with #31#.

2. Contact your carrier. If you want all of your phone calls to always be blocked, you can contact your carrier and set up permanent Caller ID blocking. There is typically a charge for this, and the fees and terms will vary from carrier to carrier.

Most pre-paid plans cannot enable permanent Caller ID blocking.

Some people have Anonymous Call Rejection enabled, which means your call will not be able to be completed unless you call from an unblocked number.

3. Hide your number through your device’s settings. Many phones allow you to block your Caller ID information by changing the phone’s settings. If your phone does not have the option to do this, then it is not allowed by your carrier, and you will have to try one of the previous steps.

iPhone – Open the Settings app, tap Phone, tap Show My Caller ID, and then toggle the slider to ON.

Fake Phone Number: If however you wish to display a fake phone number, try one of the many apps available that do just that – pop up a fake phone number on your target’s phone. A new app on the market also allows you to change your voice to sound like a man or a woman: FakeCallerID. Let’s bear in mind that ultimately, all fake phone numbers are logged somewhere and if necessary, law enforcement can certainly obtain these records.

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